EMILY WRITES: What do you spend your free time on, and your not-so-free time? How do you think a Christian teenager should manage socialization, productivity, and recreation? I want to hear your thoughts on how I should manage my time, and what to spend it on. Thanks!
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Well, I spend a lot of my free time on theRebolution.com. It’s a great website. You should check it out! 🙂 lol
Also, reading good novels, texting my friends, and working on a book I’m writing. But until like last week, I didn’t really have that much free time.
But It’s almost summer now!!!
Yes I love this question! Before you do anything, straighten your priorities.
God first.
Family second.
And everything else third.
When I have free time, I have to keep my priorities in mind. A lot of the time, I read or write or play softball. But sometimes it comes down to choosing between hanging out with my family or hanging out with my friends. Putting your priorities first makes for a productive and well-spent free time!
So spend your time on things that you know will benefit your future. I’m not saying that meaningless things are forever unacceptable (though it’s not the smartest thing to take part in), but your free time can be used to guide you.
So when you have free time, read your Bible. Write a book, learn a different language, try a sport, learn to cook, draw, take a walk, volunteer to babysit, volunteer at your local pregnancy crisis center, do something hard!
Pssst @liv737johnoxide:disqus it’s the Rebelution not the Rebolution.
Hey, I’ve heard that’s an AWESOME website! Maybe I should check it out! XD
Hey, you should plan game nights with other Christian teens! You can do whatever you want….board games, sports, taking selfies….especially selfies. Just do me a favor. Don’t do it on my camera…especially without my permission…like this.
#truestory XD
And then you have school too right? 🙂
Ok, despite my humorous post below, I do actually have something to say…here’s how I spend my day….
1. God…i.e. reading the Bible, looking over/reviewing sermon notes, Bible studies, Church/Sunday school, praying, etc. Sadly, this sometimes gets pushed behind other stuff, which is non bueno.
2. School (except that’s ended for the summer for me *happy dance*) sadly, this honestly probably takes up more time in my day than I spend reading my Bible, etc. =/
3. Needs of life (such as eating….especially bacon)
4. Chores…no explanation needed 😉
5. Piano practice (not a leisure activity anymore…I take it way too seriously XD)
6. Leisure activities such as…
a. Texting
b. Game nights (see below hehehe)
c. Pointless games on a screen (for example, I have one that involves racing cars to get pretend money to by more cars that you race to get money in order to….you get the point XD)
d. The Reb =D
e. Everything else…gosh where do I start?
But as to advice for you, I believe that as long as God is TRULY #1 on your list (and I’m talking to myself here too) then everything else will line up.
I mean, if God was really truly my #1 priority all the time, how much time would I spend playing virtual soccer as virtual soccer players so I could get virtual money to buy better virtual soccer players? After all, all that really matters is eternity, right?
Ok, I feel like I’m just lecturing myself now. =P But thanks for submitting this DQ…it’s great food for thought!
-Josh
Whaaat…. XD
=P I have to redeem my friend on the left, there…normally he looks a lot cooler than that…here’s a pic of him in mid-hair flip. XD
I can really relate to that last bit about the virtual stuff. I’m not going to get to heaven and say, “Well, God, I did it! I reached the highest tier on that super addictive game.” Nah…it’s something I’m working on. (Time management, not making it to the next tier. XD)
Anyway, good thoughts! 🙂
Ah. Well we all have those pictures. I just would never expect them to end up on the Internet. XD I guess that’s what you get for using someone else’s camera!
Haha my 6 year old sister steals my phone and takes blurry pictures around the house so my camera roll goes from 124 to 500!
Oh, wait, I see the pic now (it didn’t show up for some reason earlier). That is pretty cool. 🙂
Haha “Especially bacon!”
Well my days vary a bit because on the days my mom works I watch my brothers ans sister, but when my mom is home I,
1. Pray and read my Bible
2. Get ready for the day (this includes prayer)
3. Make my breakfast (because I’m a picky eater haha)
4. Start my school
5. Normally I’d do chores but I’m paying my brother to do mine because he owes my mom some money
6. Computer/texting/videogames/reading (mostly reading)
7. Devotions with my family
8. Read my Bible some more, and go to bed
I think a lot of us have our “ideal” day. (I can’t say it all happens precisely as planned). I am a planner, however, I don’t stick to many routines I make. My schedule on week days involves waking up (it might be at 6:50, or even 8:30), reading my bible, getting ready, etc. chores, school, lunch, chores, school, dinner, dessert, read my bible, bed. Now, I get plenty of free time, but I waste it trying to decide what to do. (I am done with school, so occupying myself efficiently, while trying not to constantly be on the web, etc. is hard). I am not sure if this is any help at all to anyone, but great question Emily!
I spend most of my day on schoolwork. I am almost over with school thankfully, but once it gets done I won’t know what to do.
LOL unfortunately,there really isn’t a surplus of Christian teens near where I live, my youth group literally is me, my brother, and my best friend
Let’s see… doing school, reading books, blogging, eating, training taekwondo, piano practice, eating, a few chores, eating, emailing and IM friends and hanging on this website with some pretty cool teens called the Reb. You should look it up! Oh, and Revive too!
Yay, bacon!
So a couple thoughts, before I head off to bed. I don’t know how large your church is, but you might consider getting involved in some kind of ministry in your church or maybe there is a ministry that you could get involved with in your city. I love being able to serve in my church and using the gifts God has given me to love his people and meet new people, but my church is also really large so there are lots of different avenues and opportunities to serve. If you are a part of a smaller church than that may be a little harder.
Last summer a few of my friends started a small summer Bible study as a way to get to know one another better and also to keep our minds active in God’s word.
Pretty much all pictures of me are that type of picture. I am a terrible person to take pictures of. I always have that dumb, deer-in-the-headlights look of, “Huh?”
I spend my time doing school work and free time doing chores, emailing friends blogging and reading the Bible. I try to read the Bible for over half a hour a day.
I want to see a pic of YOU Josh! 😎
I’m afraid my priorities are kind of slipping through the cracks right now… Thanks for that reminder!!
I’m always the one to steal someones phone and take as many pictures as possible before they find out. Its really easy because I have a lot of friends with iPhones so you can just turn it on and bam theres a camera.XD
Whenever someone took weird photos with my camera, I would save them. My momma printed them all out and stuck them in a photo album for me (along with other pics from my phone). I’ve got quite the collection. #nojoke
Some things I do on a daily and weekly basis would include: Practicing piano, exercising, making some food, reading, teaching piano lesssons, babysitting, hanging out with my siblings, Bible reading, prayer, journaling, laundry, dishes, taking care of my turtles, crafting, ASL, school, and of course all th necessary daily basics. I tend to waste time checking my emails frequently. (I need to check them for school, but I ould limit it at least every other day. ) I am a easily distracted person, but I think God made me that way on purpose because it fits my physical needs exactly.
Hey, anyone who wants to answer….is there a way to delete pictures you’ve posted w/o deleting the entire post? ‘Cause I have to delete this pic but I don’t want to delete the whole post….maybe @programguy:disqus could help?
Not gonna happen sorry…I actually have to delete these. =P
Wow, I thought my “youth group” was small. XD
Haha oh my! This last Sunday someone took my iPod and sent my embarrassing selfies to themselves… I was so mad. Need to keep a better watch on what selfies I save.
My 4 yr old sister does that! Drives me crazy!
*starts to answer but then realizes I’m lacking in the computer skill department*
Does it let you “edit post”? If so you should be able to.
:'( Wouldn’t it be pretty awesome to have a “Rebelutionary” conference? Then we could all meet in person! 🙂
Lol! That’s awesome XD
Aw! Whenever people take pictures of me, I always forget how to smile. XD it’s like, “do the sides of my mouth go up or down? Why is my smile so wobbly?! I’m going to cry…”
Or something like that. 😛 lol
Minus the crying bit, that’s what I do too! “C’mon Taylor, smiles aren’t that hard!” “Yes they are!”
I’ve tried…it’s almost like the picture is separate and I can’t edit it out. =/
Hey, they’re actually trying to plan something like that on Revive! You should check it out…try asking Sam S to add you to the “conference idea” space. =)
Gulp. How DO I spend my time, or how SHOULD I spend my time? How I spend my time right now is preparing for a move in a month, watching my younger brother, doing school, playing the piano, reading, blogging, and lots of hanging out on Revive/Reb/email. How I SHOULD be spending my time is Bible reading, prayer, encouraging others, putting self aside to reach out to others, and trying to serve God in my lifestyle. I’ve got a long way to go…
And what would be the point of taking selfies…? “Oh, look at my nose, it’s so… nose-y!”
That’s about as bad as forgetting your phone number when asked on the spot! 🙂
Wait what? A Rebelutionary conference? I’m really interested now, what do i need to do?
And I know exactly how you feel about the pictures, my sister and her friends hijack my phone all the time!
*gasps* how dare you insult selfies?!?!?!?! haha, they’re just awesome! =P #thatsnotreallyananswerisit
It’s still in the super preliminary stages…are you on Revive? If not, I’ll try to keep you filled in…right now we’re still trying to plan where and when haha. =P
Haha, have you heard Jim Gaffigan on bacon? He seriously makes like three solid minutes of bacon jokes. XD
YES! They’re awesome! Put bacon bits in a salad and turns a rotten lunch into a fun game of “find the bacon in the lettuce!”
Why am I always the last to find out about these things. XD
Lol, the crying bit may have been an exaggeration. XD But people can take photos really slowly sometimes…and after grinning for twenty seconds straight, any hope of it still looking natural is gone. 😛
Lol! That’s me too. XD
That’s what I was thinking…it’s like, I’m not going to try to answer this DQ because there’s a big difference between how I spend my time and how I should. :/
I know, right? Very true! Either take the picture or not, but don’t just stand there holding the camera!
Join the club. There’s a whole bunch of us in that boat!
Yes! It’s like,
Person taking photo: “Okay, smile! Wait, let me move three inches to the left. That’s better. Okay, keep smi–wait, let me move an inch to the right. There! Wait–”
Me: *passes out* XD
I spend my time kinda like this…
Morning: Read Bible, Pray, Journal, Breakfast, Take Care of my Animals, Water and Weed Garden, School, Spend time outside with my siblings, Lunch
Afternoon: School, Read, Piano, Spend more time outside with sibling 🙂 Help with dinner
Evening: Family activities, Read, Shower and go to bed.
Other Activities (not done daily): go with the family to the abortion clinic to minister, mission trips, mothers helper, pet sitting, youth group, volunteering at church ministries.
The only time where time wasting is a problem is the summer. I try to read a LOT of books and take up some new hobbies to beat that.
Same….until I read Sydnie’s post.
True story
Definitely eating. 😛
My goodness, just reading through the last couple comments a lot of you practice piano! Anyway, aside from requirements I tend to spend my free time learning new systems of thought and analyzing them. For example, last summer I spent a lot of time comparing the several ways people say you get saved with what I could actually derive from scripture. If you want a lot of fun, take the whole predestination debate and find a viewpoint which you can defend biblically, they do exist. This summer, I am trying to find out how it is that the main beliefs of western society today came to be. I admit, this would bore many people. My advice would be to make sure whatever you do has some sort of lasting effect or cumulative nature. For example, I have enjoyed my fish aquarium and a healthy ecosystem is something that it takes time and skill to build and manage.
Haha yeah I freak out when I’m in a room with more than 4 or 5 teens in it
Oh cool! I’d totally attend if it was close enough to where I live and didn’t clash with other events I have
I get to join a club! Aren’t I elite! Now I’m in this club as well as the stupidity club!
Ditto, girl. 🙁
Dude, I’ve taken one selfie in my life from my memory, and that was because I hadn’t had a recent picture of myself in over six months (don’t ask why, I’m not sure what my reasoning was…) I dare insult selfies. See, spell-check doesn’t even accept the word “selfie”!
Then you OBVIOUSLY didn’t put enough bacon…
Great response! I’m gonna remember that one!
i’m a movie freak so i’ve almost always got http://www.pluggedin.com/ pulled up on my computer(they work with focus on the family and review movies from a Christian perspective) i’m even writing my own movie script right now!
i also love listening to adventures in odyssey at http://www.whitsend.org/
then it’s music, music and more music on YouTube!
then there’s Wed night youth group, Sun church, Mon-Fri is HW
also, every night me and my brother and sometimes my mom and dad too, will watch one of our favorite shows together.
my life is pretty laid back and I wish i could do more, but my family is so big that transportation anywhere is a nightmare. (=
oh! almost forgot, i’m also a bookworm!
oh, and here at the Reb. !
ok, maybe i’m just skatterbrained but what’s this Revive that everyone keeps mentioning? =)
Have any books that you want to read? What I did was make a huge list of books that I want to read. I’ll never get through them all, but when I need something to do, I just pick up a book. (=
I must admit, I love movies too. (=
No, what’s Revive? I may be able to save you a lot of trouble if I know. 🙂
Okay, so here are the questions. I’m going to try to answer them directly. “What do you spend your free time on, and your not-so-free time?” When I don’t have any pressing responsibilities, I usually read or do any of the things mentioned in my earlier comment. (I could always practice piano some more) In my “not-so-free time you could probably find me doing school or doing my job. (Babysitting or teaching piano) “How do you think a Christian teenager should manage socialization, productivity, and recreation?” All those things are good. We can socialize at church. At church we have the chance to be encouraged and to encourage others. People are what we should be investing in. Everything else on this earth will pass away, but souls are eternal. Let’s obey Jesus’ command and preach the Gospel. (=
So true that we need to do something has has a “lasting effect”! Thanks for your thoughts. Do you play piano? I think a lot of parents toss their kids into piano and then we end up loving it. haha I’m preparing for a competition. I have to memorize my songs and memory is not my thing. lol Aquarium? Awesome! I have a turtle aquarium. (=
When I’m not doing school, I spend a fair bit of time working in the kitchen or looking after siblings. In my free time I spend *too much* time on Revive, Pinterest, or Facebook. Or I might read, play piano, or sew. I think as Christians we should be trying to be as productive as possible. Pinterest, for example, isn’t a bad thing, but if it is taking up too much time, it can become a bad thing and a distraction from God.
XD Exactly! =P “If you put bits of bacon on a strip of bacon, it would make a tasty vortex that what send you back in time! Be kind of pointless for me, ’cause I’d just travel back to when I was eating BACON!” XD
XD Let’s see, the last selfie I took was….less than three hours ago. And then I took like a million when I went to six flags….
Hey, selfie was the word of the year in like three dictionaries a couple years ago. I’m sorry if your spellcheck is slow! 😉
It’s kind of like a Facebook for Reb users that Sam S started…check it out!
http://www.revivingtheredeemed.org
You will have to sign up.
It’s a website @Sam S. started over here: http://www.revivingtheredeemed.org/index.php?r=dashboard/dashboard .
It’s where we post prayer requests, random questions, and off-topic conversations among the teens mostly from here on the Reb. It’s great!
Revive is a website created by Sam S (a fellow Rebelutionary who’s pretty active here, just in case you’ve somehow never run across him) that is pretty much for us teens to share prayer points, ask each other questions, and just have random conversations (so we don’t clutter up The Reb too much :P). It is AWESOME! Check it out here: revivingtheredeemed.org.
When I’m not studying (or doing other stuff that needs done) I usually do what I enjoy. For me that’s reading, drawing, learning language, messing around on my ukelele or just chilling with friends. It’s ok to have down time. Just do the things you enjoy, spend a bit of time away from the computer. You’ll find a lot of (real) hobbies are actually productive (absently surfing the net doesn’t count as a hobby and I prob wouldn’t rate gaming either). It’s always fun when you have friends who have similar hobbies. I’ve actually discovered some of the things I like (cooking, hiking, horses) because my friends enjoyed them and encouraged me to try them out 🙂 As long as it’s not damaging your relationship with God or wasting time, you’re fine. (And it has to be said, a good book/movie is always worth reading/watching, no question:) )
Have you ever read ‘the Philosophical Basis for the Christian Worldview’? Can’t remember who it’s by but it’s a chunking big book but it’s worth reading. It’ll tell you a bit about Western culture and the philosophy which has shaped it. Sorry, I think the inner geek is leaking out. What was your conclusion to the first question?
Whaaa? What is this world coming to??
That was really well said!
thanks, I’ll check it out, that sounds so cool!(=
Awesome!! Yeh, it is pretty cool. 😀
*stupid moment* What is IM?
WHY DID I NOT KNOW THERE WAS A CONFERENCE IDEA SPACE?? Thanks for telling me Sam…
I make projects, read, write… All my life is about making something new to impact our generation. To tell the world that we are the factor of change
Instant Messaging. It’s like a much more casual and very fast email. If you’re both online at the same time, you actually carry on a conversation much like a comment thread on here.
Hey, I’m going to delete this post above for privacy reasons….if after I delete it it still shows up as a guest post with the picture there (I don’t care if it’s there without the pic) could one of y’all let me know? Thanks! =)
Oh, you can see that a comment was deleted? Sweet! That means it worked! =)
XD
Haha, no I haven’t read it. I will have to add it to my amazon wish list. At present I am reading Cliffs quick review Sociology book. I have to read this in prep for a CLEP test and it is giving me a detailed depiction of the liberal worldview which appears to be largely informed by Karl Marx. It is tough reading just because I disagree with it on almost every point of application but it is useful towards my end.
One more idea, you might try getting a CLEP test or two done in the summer. Some, like U.S. History I & II might not require much studying and they can often transfer into colleges and lighten your load. In my experience, you can often CLEP most things not directly related to your major. So, for example, if you think you are probably headed in the Liberal Arts direction, I would CLEP college algebra, biology, and chemistry as that may well satisfy most of the requirements at your school.
What! How come I just found out about this!
I can play a little. I have a decent ear and generally pick out my tunes that way. I haven’t worked with turtles yet but crayfish can be extremely entertaining. I haven’t owned one yet but I saw one in the plant tank at my local PetSmart and it was quite interesting to watch it stock the guppies and goldfish. Definitely not a creature to put with your expensive fish. Guppies, however, would likely re-populate the tank faster than he could eat them. I have a whole multi-aquarium set-up in mind for after I graduate college, in the mean-time, however, all I can do is dream.
It’s in the directory! =P
Yes, but I didn’t know that till just now. lol
Yes! I have all kinds of books I want to read. I actually do plan to redecorate my room because it has been the same format for over 5 years. If this broken violin that I have gets fixed, then I will teach myself how to play it.
Josh, humor me for a minute ’cause I’m curious and I pry, what level of playing are you at? Don’t tell me it’s random, ’cause I already know… (I got “’cause” in twice!! Score!)
Why didn’t I know this existed…?
I think it’s a by-product of Gmail. G+ has a similar product called Google Chat, but since I have Gmail, that’s where I learned about it. I’m not sure if yours has a counterpart to it.
Oh. 🙁
You could always switch to Gmail!
Ha, we’re actually all considering switching when we move. I forgot our reason why.
Well, you’ve got another reason!
I’m with you. Lost me at the word, computer. 😀
For me, I don’t have a lot of free time 😀
If I do, it usually means nap time. But some great things to do is to read, practice something that you need to do extra work with (like an instrument or sports) Get a job. You could also take the time to do one of those, “I really should get to this, but I’ll just do it later” things that’s been hanging around for months.
If you’re in my family, it usually means (if you’re bored) bike ride, run a 5k, or plant a garden. Sometimes if I have extra time, I ‘ll make dinner and give my mom a night off. ( actually burned a plate last time i did that, No food, but a plate! still not sure how I did that)
A great thing to do is to invest in someone else. Whether that’s a younger sibling or a friend that just needs some extra encouragement. A great idea is to spend one hour a week in intense prayer with the Lord. It really builds your relationship with Him, and gets your priorities straight!
I can’t play by ear at all, so I’m always impressed when people can play by ear. Turtles are pretty messy, FYI, but so adorable. I have dreams for “after college” pets also. (=
or be on here…..
Oh I love violin! It has such a beautiful sound! A room re-do would be fun too! I’m hoping to touch up the paint in my room this summer if time allows.
Now that I am officially done with finals for the semester, I can actually think clearly and help contribute to the conversations. Haha! And just so you know, the last two years of my life have been some of the hardest years ever, but it sure does feel mighty fine to be done with a second year of college. I am hoping to inspire you guys to persevere, too, because it will be so worth it and it will be so hard. But don’t worry there will always be harder things to conquer in life than school and college 😉
The thinks I have enjoyed doing in my spare time are crocheting, scrapbooking, blogging, writing poetry, journaling, hangin’ out with friends, watching movies (oldies are my favorite), seriously I love hangin out on here with you other peoples ( college life can get tedious when you are only with people your own age 24/7), reading books that are NOT school requirements, learning new skills, working, babysitting, cooking, baking, sharing the gospel with co-workers and friends, serving at my church, laughing with my sisters, playing volleyball, enjoying the beauty in life, smiling, laughing and making others laugh, and holding babies. My list could go on and on, but I will stop there.
I think all these things can be great things to do if you do it for God’s glory! 😉
I ride horses, read, watch tv (more than I should), play with my brother, weave bracelets, have friends over, get involved with everything I can at church, and, of course, go to school. I would love to say I read the bible often, but I’m trying to quit lying to seem impressive, so lets just say that’s a habit I’m trying to start.
First, I think socialization is much more important than most people think. Being able to connect easily with anyone is one of the most useful skills there is, and it doesn’t come naturally for most people. Just talking to people whenever possible is a great use of time. Another good thing to do is, to use a really old-fashioned phrase, “devote yourself to private and public worship”. I don’t even remember where I read that… anyway, for me that means biblestudy, prayer, and church. I don’t know what it means for you.
But really just do whatever God tells you to, and when you aren’t sure, do whatever you think is a good idea. No two people spend their time the same way.
Ok, I’ll try to tell you without bragging (that sounds like bragging in and of itself lol).
I have competed at the local, regional, and state levels. The best I’ve done at state is Award of Excellence, which is somewhere in the range of 7th to 15th in my age group. Also, I’ll be playing at Philips Arena with my dad who’s a tenor *Lord willing* after a WNBA game. Some of the pieces I’m playing: Hungarian Dance #6 by Brahms, Prelude in G Minor by Rachmaninoff, Polonaise in A flat by Chopin, and Prelude in G minor from an English suite.
How about you? I could talk about music stuff all day so I’m looking forward to your response! =D
Hehe, it’s good to read stuff you don’t agree with. It challenges you and forces you to build stronger arguments. What’s a CLEP test? (I’m from across the pond :/ )
Yes! I listened to Lindsey Stirling a lot. After I listened to her so much, I grew to love the violin. I plan to teach my self through books and the internet.
ACK!!! You sound like a pro!! That sounds awesome!! Good for you!
*Hides in shame after seeing your comment* Well, I guess I could be defined as late intermediate, but I can play some advanced pieces. I’ve never played any of those pieces before, so that’s gotta tell you something. I love music too!! Music is my life… I just got to borrow the sheet music for “Who Am I?” (a Casting Crowns song) from a friend, so I’m happy now. 🙂
School, sleep, eat, thinking, imagining things, and work take up most of my time. If there is any left over i read a book or write my own. I recommend writing a book to someone that has a good imagination and a lot of free time. Oh yeah, and video games, and i will be honest, too much probably.
Lol, i am with you on all that eating. As a teen i wonder if there ever is a time that i am actually full?
Haha, no need to hide in shame! Cool! I don’t listen to CCM music, so thanks for clarifying that. =)
I like Gmails IM a lot! Its simple and easy.
Hey, Joseph R. No, you do not know me. My name is Taylor B. and I have been directed by your sister ( @MimeforJesus) that I should speak to you, because apparently we’re very similar. So, Joseph, HI! Wassup?
*Gasp* Then my rejocification means nothing to you! ;)Anyway, so cool you’re that advanced!! Keep up the good work, man!
Ha, don’t worry about it Sam, you’re good! I was kidding. I found it, no worries!
Well if I have school I do school. Then I either go outside, read a book, or go on the computer. On the computer I help administrate Revivingtheredeemed.org, write scripts, make/edit videos, and talk to friends. And once or twice a week I go somewhere.
Though I am trying my best to get productive things done on the computer, since the internet can suck up *TONS* of time.
*timidly cowers in corner of room* Rejocification? What does that mean?
And thanks! =)
*Sigh* Just never mind. It was a joke. There is no such thing as “rejojoicification”. It is an imaginary word I invented meaning “the act of rejoicifying”. Another term I invented. So just never mind.
I love being at church, more than doing anything. The building is safe and there are so many people with genuine love and care for me and my family. I spend as much of my free time there as I can. It’s not remotely out of duty or tradition. I just… love it.
It is a set of tests put out by the College Board which is the same organization that puts out one of the two main tests which High Schoolers take and send to their prospective colleges and universities. It tests your knowledge/skills in a certain area, and if you score high enough, depending on the college, it will count for college credit and thereby reduce both your work load and cost in attending college. Does this make sense, or is this still confusing to someone across the pond?
Not a whole lot, I will be attending a College Worldviews camp put on by Camp Infinity next week. She just told me the same thing. Apparently your views have reminded her of my views.
Cool. How old are you?
19, almost no longer a teen. Sorry for leaving you hanging there, I wanted to go weigh in on the question from late April regarding free will and didn’t see you reply. My sister wants on now so I will have to go. How old are you? Will be disappearing for 10 minutes.
Oops, got called away! I’m 17. Now you’ve got me curious. Gonna go check that free will article! 🙂
Ok, this should be good, I am going to switch over to that page to await any comments.
I think a lot about if I suddenly died. Perhaps this sounds weird, but honestly, I recommend trying it. Think about if you died tomorrow. How would people remember you? Of course, when someone dies everyone makes them sound way better than they were anyway, but if people didn’t do that, how would they honestly think about you? Did you spend all your time playing, dilly-dallying, living for the moment? Or did you spend all your time working and studying for the future but forgetting everyone in your life and never cherishing the moment? What I strive for is to be remembered as a girl who was diligent in her work and study but also was loving toward everyone around her and found time to slow down and cherish her family and friends. I think that teenagers need a balance like that.
When I’m not busy with school and work, I find that doing art, such as painting and pastel is a great way to relieve pressure and simply relax. I also enjoy doing macramé, kayaking and going on long walks, and most of all – spending time with others.
No that makes sense. We pick stuff to study in school then just sit exams and the colleges/unis say ‘for this course you need x subjects at xlevel or above including maths at x and/or english’ and you can apply if you’ve got it. But aren’t your colleges different to ours? You do mixed… things/courses don’t you?
Dear Emily,
I would just encourage you to get in the Word, and spend time praying and in fellowship with other believers! You can’t go wrong with these, and they will never be a waste of time or something you will regret! Also, take time to develop relationships with those around you and seek to encourage them as well as learn from them. Relationships last. I have spent a lot of time developing useful skills, which I now have to use the rest of my life. Not to mention the fun I had and memories I made doing them! Hope this helps and gives you some ideas! Your sister in Christ,
Most of my free time goes to piano. I’ll find some music I like and learn it. Or I make up my own. I’ll practice techniques that I know need work. Learn something new. If you learn home repair, that could help you on mission trips and you won’t have to spend as much money in the future when you have a home if you can fix it yourself. You could learn a bit of automotive mechanics. You could research politics so you are well informed on the bigger picture of the country. I also agree with Rachel B. Reading your Bible is the best way to spend time. I absolutely love apologetics. Find verses you can use in any situation and memorize them. There are many issues that teenagers deal with today: drugs, homosexuality, tattoos, theft, among many others. Look up verses that deal with that. Spend time loving people. Have a great summer serving the Lord!
I really think that journaling during your free time is refreshing and beautiful. Now all what journaling is is expressing thoughts. You don’t have to write in a book about how your day went (although you can do it) to journal.
Music is a form of journaling. I love to spend my time listening to music more than playing it. Music is a beautiful gift from our Father. Its really odd and rare (so says my teacher) that I see colors when music is played. Music can be a burst of joy; with warm orange and golden tones. Music can be like quiet tears drowning me in cold blues with tints of dull grey. My favorite hymn “Nearer My God to Thee” captures all the colors that I think of in music. In one of the hardest times of my life, God spoke to me through music.
I also really enjoy quilling! Quilling is a meticulous paper art that connects me with God. When I roll a small strip of paper into a coil, bend it into a shape and mount it onto a piece of colored paper, I talk to God. As a good friend of mine says “It is creation, again.”
Write down bible verses and sound lyrics in calligraphy. Dwell on them and praise the Lord for what He has done.
On my free time i wright stories, poems, songs and read my bible
Good things to put your time into:
Learning… (The Bible is a good source.)
People… (Build relations with people.) (Share the gospel.)
Meditating… (On the Word of God.) (Biblical truth.) (Good things)
Building Strength… (Physical and mental, with God.)
Projects… (Do something profitable with other people, like a Bible study, etc…)
in my free time i usually go to the rebelution or work on the book i’m writing.
Boy am I convicted! (Just finished reading The Hunger Games and had just started Catching Fire when I decided to take a break and log in) I should be filing paperwork… huff, puff, ugh… brow furrowed…
So I am an avid reader… In a nutshell, l immensely enjoy every aspect of “The Arts!” Music, Literature, Languages, Drama, Dance, Artwork! These are my time wasters. Of course these very things can have a positive, even spiritual influence on me, so it’s not all bad. But it does take discipline to turn these passions into purpose!
Time to log off and check a few things off my “to do” list so I can get back to Katniss and Peeta!
I’m going to make a suggestion – spend a minimal amount of time “plugged in” (having headphones on) when you’re around others. I would limit yourself to the amount of time you spend with headphones on (definitely not in public places unless you’re exercising!), especially if your family is home and doing anything other than studying/reading intently. I really dislike it when my siblings have headphones on because if I want to say something to them they can’t hear me – they’re totally in their own little world. And we could be talking, playing a game, etc. together. I’m not against having headphones on ever (it could be there way to have “me time” to unwind and recover from being around lots of people), just having them on constantly. My main pet peeve is seeing people with ear buds in at the grocery store, clothes stores, etc. People are so consumed in their own world these days!
I think it’s totally a ‘grey’ area and requires a lot of prayer. When in down time ask yourself these questions: Will it draw me away from Christ or closer to Him? Will it draw others closer or further from God?
Jesus had little time to Himself because He led a purpose driven life, which is the life He calls us to live.
Bottom line: If He calls you to do something or not do something, obey Him.
I spend my time listening to Christian music like this…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Soe-uIE9g
And other things like playing outdoors in the wonderful world God made for us.
I have been trying to prioritize how I spend my time. It’s not like what I do spend my time on is bad, it’s just I spend to much on ONE thing, and everything else gets neglected! This is my summer challenge to be purposeful with my time. And not necessarily be “doing something productive” or working all the time, but just finding a good balance of work/learning/family time/downtime/friend time/God time etc.
Oh my gosh my long lost cooking twin! I am SO not the only one who has burnt/lit on fire kitchen utensils! And if you don’t mind a question, what does you intense hour of prayer look like?
I spend most of my free time checking out my FB chatting , surfing the net, reading books, listening to good music, watching TV shows. I love traveling a lot and going to church.
I totally understand Elizabeth! I am also in love with anything to do with the arts, but I often get distracted by the web, tv, etc. 🙁
Thank you so much for introducing such a relevant topic! I have horrible time management skills, so I’m always struggling to get things I need to do done. Most of my day is spent doing school work, but when I do have free time, I usually read, write, or play on my violin or piano.
Spending time with God, attending church, fellowshipping with other Believers, school, family, friends, babysitting.
Haha, yes! and I have a friend who melted a salad mixer on the stove, so there should really be a club or something. And just a note, burnt plates smell awful and the noodles picked up the smell and tasted weird. Yuck!
I haven’t gotten an entire hour of prayer in for a while, but it really depends. Sometimes its when I’m particularly burdened for a person or something that is going on politically or whatever. Then I pray specific and hard.
Sometimes its just time for me and Jesus (the best time) usually that looks different. I like to play worship music for most of that and meditate and sing the words to Jesus (it sounds weird, but it really is wonderful)
Because I get distracted easily (darn that devil) and it helps to have something structured going.
You might like to do it with someone else. I don’t just because I’m a really private person (even with my family) and I really don’t like baring my thoughts and soul for people 🙂 I know this got really long, but hope it helps!!
Oh yes it was very helpful! I really struggle with prayer and what you mentioned sounded really interesting! And no the singing the words to Jesus doesn’t sound weird! I do the same thing in my car…… And yes I get very easily distracted to! I will be like ok God I want to pray for… Oh I have to do *whatever* later today. And I should really go and finish that… (10 minutes later) Wait a minute I was praying. Oops. And yes their totally needs to be a club! There are burn marks in our kitchen floor from me!
oh, good glad it helped!! 🙂
You’re writing a book? what’s it about?
an snotty girl who realizes she just ruined her chance ot help someone.
Ohhh.. are you going to put it up somehwere? 😀
(hopefully..)
Sorry I am writing so late! kind of new here and am just catching up with most posts!
But i wanted to say.. Wow! i feel the same way! being at church, spending time with the people there, helping in any way I can, it’s just.. awesome!! Loved your comment! 😀
like here? or do you mean publish it.
Thanks Andy!
Mmm… Not really, i meant if you have a blog or something. But since you mentioned it, Are you going to publish it?
i’m gonna try to publish it, but no, i have no blog. (working on it)
Ahh great! 😀
Probably a bit late to the party, but I’m here now…
Lets start with a list of a bit of the things I do:
College Work [CollegePlus minus College Plus, so distance college education featuring myself as my own student advisor, planner, etc., finishing up my Junior year (as of now, 7-3-15)]
House Work (normal cleaning — not too outside the box)
House Work [finishing up adding 1,160 sq. ft. to our house (now we get interesting)]
Caretaking [Long story, but the gist is car accident (involving a fatality of other driver) resulting in Mom having a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and effectively losing control of the right side of her body in addition to a ton of other things]
Church (I enjoy doing anything there really, from helping on workdays to greeting ppl, really anything)
Long distance relationships (code for my local “friends” have all walked away, and so I only have friends two or more hours away)
So now how do I balance it all? Well, sometimes I don’t do a very good job, but I try to keep everything planned and work around everything major that I need to do. Que the overused youth group tennis balls and sand analogy. Sometimes, you just have to roll with things as they come. All that to say, Go with the flow (if your life is as full as mine), and use as much “spare time” investing in your family as you can.
Another useful way to do something in free time
Is to
teach your hobbies at koocam
And make your free time value for money
I am doing it and it works great 🙂
What is koocam?
Some of my free time is playing video games(very hard to stay away from), going on the internet(mostly looking at emails and going on The Rebelution website.)
and playing with my brother.
http://www.koocam.com its website u can start video chat, u define the time of the chat and u also define the price u want for the chat. good to work remotely with costumers or followers
I spend my time doing music stuff and The Reb stuff.
i’ts a site where I teach my hobbies and my knowledge in any field.
And increases my income!
So if you have a hobby or skill or knowledge in any field (even speak your language)
You will make money there 🙂